Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico Riserva “Villa Bucci” 2020 – Villa Bucci

To produce the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico Riserva “Villa Bucci” Villa Bucci vinification took place in the underground winery, which is naturally cool so refrigeration is generally not necessary. Vinification took place in stainless steel and Slavonian oak barrels of between 50 and 75 hectolitres, that are approximately 70 years old. Different vineyard parcels were vinified separately, aged for two years and then carefully blended before bottling.

The Riserva is only produced in the best vintages, with fruit from the oldest vines (between 40 and 50 years old on average) and the best sites. There are six vineyards with different exposures and elevations to obtain more complexity in the final blend of each wine. Yields are kept low and vineyard management is certified organic with no herbicides or pesticides used. Soils are mainly calcareous (limestone), giving minerality to the wine, with around 30% clay, which retains moisture during the hot summers.

Ampelio Bucci has 31 hectares of organically cultivated vineyards on his 350 hectare estate. Of these, 25 hectares are Verdicchio, spread over five separate vineyards. The old vines and low yields (7 to 8 tonnes per hectare, which is considerably lower than the 14 permitted by DOC regulations) give wines of great intensity. The Verdicchio, fermented in stainless steel tanks, is bottled in the July after the vintage, as the structure of the wines means that they require longer ageing prior to bottling.